Not a whole lot to say, but stay tuned for a AN aT the end.
on with the show.
Chapter 4: Seeing Red
Terra took a few gulpfulls of air as soon as she made it outside. How could she have been so stupid? What if she had been tagged, branded, caged for everything she had done? Granted she had spent years frozen in stone then forced to forget everything, which could have been interpreted as punishment, but she couldn't avoid the feelings of guilt she lived with day in and day out.
She straightened up, running her hands through her hair and lifting her nose towards the sky. Taking a few more breaths of the fresh night air, she was beginning to feel a bit better. She stood there for a few moments, enjoying the cool summer night against her skin, when she was joined by her teammate, Kid Flash.
He looked her up and down, noticing how distressed she looked, before asking, "You Alright Terra? You came out here kinda fast?"
She nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm good."
He raised a brow, "buuuut?"
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, before rolling them. "I, might be, possibly, considering, that you… might be … right."
With wide eyes He took his finger and began rubbing the inside of his ear. "I'm sorry I didn't hear that, what did you say?"
She punched him in the shoulder. "You know what I said, you ass."
He laughed as he rubbed his now sore arm. "Okay, okay. But for giggles, what am I right about?"
She waved her gloves hand towards the country club. "This whole Metahuman signing thing. I hadn't realized how much this, kinda, applies to me."
His smile and joking nature faded when he slowly realized what it was she was talking about. Slightly stunned he only managed to breathe an, "Oh."
"Don't worry about it." She folded her arms across her chest. "I've come to terms with everything that I did, and what happened to me because of it. I just never looked at others that way I guess. I mean, what if that was me people just gave up on?" They stood in silence for a moment. "You can't imagine how grateful I am that someone like Beast Boy didn't give up on me." He head fell when a knot formed in her throat, but before she knew it she felt a light punch to her shoulder. "Ugh What was that for?"
He grinned. "Just reminding you that we're friends and I don't hold anything against you, and as far as I know, none of the others do either."
She shook her head as she rubbed her arm. "They don't. It helps when it wasn't them that I—"
"—Hey, no more of that alright. It happened, it sucked, time to move on. Alright?" He moved to punch her again, but she blocked his jab and returned with one of her own.
"Fine, only cuz you asked so nicely." They stood in comfortable silence, rubbing their bruised shoulders, as she tried to push her lingering thoughts on the metahuman bill out of her mind. "But we should get back to our jobs. Don't want any surprises here." Agreeing with her, he zipped away giving her a chance to head back inside.
—:0:—
Just get back to your piano. Everything's fine. Winston's got this.
Ethan did his best to act as casually as possible, but even with his rigid stance and mechanical movements no one seemed to be paying him much attention.
Sometimes it's good to be invisible.
"Ethan—"
"—I didn't do it!" He spun around, scaring the ever living hell out of his girlfriend. Emily gawked at him like a deer caught in the headlights. Seeing that it was only her, he tried to back track. "Uh… well I didn't, heh."
She chuckled. "Well the music stopped and Dad was wondering where you were."
He laughed. "Oh yeah, ha I was, uh…" Bathroom? No what if it's announced that someone was thrown against the wall. "Getting a snack?" She raised a brow with a small wrinkle of her nose. "You know your adorable when you do that."
She knew he was changing the subject, but she decided to wrinkle her nose even further. "Just get back to the piano, sweet talker." She went off to mingle in the sea of people, leaving him to go back to his duties. He sat down on the piano bench and began playing, all the while the incident in the bathroom played over in his mind.
What was that? Am I stronger than I look? He looked down at his thin stick like arms. Doubt it. His eyes wandered the dining room, for some reason feeling like all The whispers and conversations were about him. He suddenly remembered what it was this evening was about, causing his fingers to freeze for a moment.
Am I … a meta human? But my parents weren't… so I shouldn't be… right. I didn't know my grandparents, what if they were metahumans? Does it skip a generation?
"Ethan." Once again he nearly jumped clean out of his skin when someone whispered his name into his ear. Winston put his hands on Ethan's shoulders to settle him. "Chill out, it's just me."
Ethan slapped his hands away. "Don't do that. My nerves are shot right now."
"Heh, my bad. But don't worry. It's taken care of."
Ethan looked at him with a hint of freight in his eyes. "You didn't kill him did you?"
Winston rolled his eyes with exasperation. "Why do you keep thinking I'm gonna kill him?"
"Well I don't know. Usually when someone says they're gonna 'take care of it' it means there gonna kill them."
Winston sighed. "No, I didn't kill him. I took him back to the locker room and threw him on one of the chairs. He'll think he just passed out or something."
"But what if he remembers what I did."
Winston shook his head. "After the way you slammed him into the wall? I doubt it." He got closer to Ethan, bringing his voice down to a whisper. "How did you do that anyways?"
Ethan shook his head, thankful for his he muscle memory of being able to play the piano even while distracted. "I've been trying to figure that out." Winston fell silent, his eyes examining the he simple piano player beside him as if trying to figure him out all over again. "Stop staring at me. I'm telling you. I. Don't. Know."
"...and if our piano player could stop for a few seconds we can get going on this."
Rasmussen's voice brought them back to earth, both realizing that he had been trying to get their attention for some time now. He stopped playing as the crowd erupted into laughter.
Winston nudged him with his shoulder. "P.S.. The after, slash, birthday party is at your place." He walked away leaving Ethan to gawk at the back of his head, wishing for something to throw at it.
Rasmussen, joined by the his friends, The police commissioner and assistant district Attorney, pulled up a nearby table, grabbed a few pieces of paper and held it up for the crowd to see. "This law will help keep some of the more dangerous Meta's from trashing our beloved city. So let's get this party started."
—:0:—
Bumble Bee couldn't believe it. She, along with a large majority of those gathered, believed that some big bad would have crashed the party by now. Yet throughout the signing up till the end of the evening, there was nothing. Not a peep from any villains, meta's, secret assassins or anything. Even now as people began to leave, she was no longer on edge.
Beside her Donna stood, still ready to do battle should the need arise. "Huh, that was much easier than expected."
Bumble Bee scoffed. "Your telling me. I thought there would be a lot more action going on tonight."
Donna shrugged as she looked over the dispersing crowd. "So what now then?"
Bumble bee noticed Terra and Kid Flash making their way towards them. Odds are they were wondering the same thing. "Ya hungry? I didn't get a chance to eat."
"Yes, food does indeed sound good."
Kid Flash groaned, holding his stomach comically. "Ugh man I need food bad!"
"Calm down ya big baby," Terra punched him again, "but I'm starving too so let's eat."
"Alright. Pizza time. NOT IT!" Everyone got to their "NOT IT's" in time, except for Donna.
"Ah Tartarus. I'm paying again?"
"Dems the breaks Donna." Kid Flash grinned, "now let's go." They headed off to their favorite pizza parlor, ready to leave their rather uneventful night behind them.
—:0:—
Rasmussen home
Ethan was never good with anyone going out of there way to do something nice for him, It's not that he didn't want it, he just never knew how to respond. For example if someone were to throw a party for him, how exactly was he supposed to react? Maybe a thank you? Overly excited? Cart wheels?
Taking a look around the various guests he quickly learned that even though Winston SAID this party was for him, that was far from the truth. He had no idea who any of these people were and vice versa, aside of someone calling him "the piano guy" once in a while, but otherwise he was alone in a sea of people.
Deciding that this wasn't his scene he left the party to make his way to his own room on the first floor of the house. Ready to have the rest of the night to himself he wasn't prepared for a familiar scent to catch his attention.
Great, I can smell her now… actually I'm okay with that. Turning around he found the pleasant sight of the smiling Emily. His chest warmed, feeling a familiar fluttering as she approached him. She had removed her yellow party dress for more casual wear, sweatpants and a T-shirt. Huh, odd choice of clothing with all these people here.
She tilted her head letting her golden hair cascade over her shoulder. "Let me guess, not your scene?"
He laughed. "You know me so well."
Making sure they were alone she put her arm around his waist and pulled him close. "I told Winston you wouldn't be down for this, but you know him. Always loves a good party."
He rolled his eyes. "I think he just likes attention. Look at him." He nodded to the crowd, seeing Winston chatting with a few individuals with his phone out and ready for phone numbers. He shook his head, "thank goodness your mother isn't here or she'd have a fit."
She snorted a laugh. "Yeah, dads a lil more chill since he has his buddies with him in his private study. Speaking of which we need Skype her for your birthday."
He nodded, but then a smirk quirked the side of his lip, "Personally I wanted to spend it in the company of a certain someone."
They joined hands and continued to his bedroom, her voice now taking on a teasing tone. "Oh really? Anyone I know?"
He pushed against her playfully. "I think you might." Something else he couldn't get enough of. Their playful banter, and she gave as good as she got.
He wasn't supposed to be this lucky. After everything that he had been through, how did anything good happen to him. Living in a place with people who genuinely cared about him, with a girl who, for some reason, adored him. Weird changes happening to him aside, he couldn't have been more happy with the way his life was going.
They came to his room, just as they had many times before, in secret. Ethan began going through the checklist for sneaking around with his girlfriend. She stepped into his room as he checked the locks on the door, made sure her hiding place in his closet was clean in case anyone barged in, and also made sure her escape out the window was clear. Again, just in case.
He wondered what they would be doing tonight? Making out? Netflix? Cuddling? Little if everything? After today, Netflix and snuggling sounds wonderful. But when he turned around it was clear she had more on her mind then snuggling.
She had removed her baggy T-shirt and unsightly sweatpants for a crimson teddy and a matching underwear.
The sight of the blonde beauty, literally bearing herself to him, shut down his thinking so fast that the only word he could think to say was, "Why?"
She giggled looking down at herself. "Do you like it? I made sure to get the red one. You like red right?"
He nodded his head so fast his brain rattled against his skull. "N-no! It's wonderful… I-I-it's just … I didn't think w-w-we were quite there yet."
She took him by the hands and led him to his bed. "Well, I'm leaving for school soon, we're both adults, so shouldn't we make the most our time together?"
The mention of her upcoming schooling brought some motor function back to his mouth. "Shouldn't we be talking about that? I mean what are we gonna—mph!"
She captured his lips with her own before pushing him onto his back. Throwing her legs over his hips she looked down at him more man hungry then a cannibal. Once again, he lost all sense seeing the way the teddy cupped her breasts.
"I think we've talked enough Ethan," she lowered herself so that her lips grazed against his, "I've known you for a few years, and...well," suddenly her confidence had left, making her appear so small in his arms.
However, he had known her long enough that he practically knew what she was thinking, and caressing her cheek he smiled. Seeing him smile helped her to regain some of her courage, "I want my first time to be with you."
He smiled widely as he kissed her lips, mumbling the words, "Me too."
—:0:—
Winston was going through the new contacts in his phone when he noticed that the "man of the hour" had vanished. Not surprisingly when he approached a handful of the party goers asking about him, they had no idea who Ethan was, but whoever he was, tell him thanks for the party. Winston rolled his eyes and continued looking for him.
"I haven't seen him in, like, an hour." He muttered looking at the clock on his phone. Weaving through the crowd, and unable to find him, Winston went for the only other place he could think of. Ethan's bedroom.
Hurriedly moving towards his room, he shouted, "Yo Ethan you in there? I know you hate parties but Come on man. It's yours, you need to—". He froze outside just outside Ethan's door.
It had been left cracked open, with a pool of blood forming on the ground.
Winston took a few, hesitant steps. "Ethan? Buddy?" As he got closer he could hear someone choking on their sobs coming from the bedroom. "Ethan?" He pushed the door opened and nearly fell over when the stench of blood hit him in the face. He couldn't believe the horrifying sight he had just walked in on.
His best friend held Emily in his arms, uncontrollably crying into her lifeless chest. Her head lay limply on the ground as her lifeless eyes stared blankly at Winston.
"Ethan man," he breathed, "What did you do?"
—:0:—
Jump city
"...yes high can I speak to Kevin please…"
"...I'm sorry to have bothered you…"
"...how long ago was that…."
"...is Dale around…"
"...sorry for your loss…"
"...if you can call me back at this number, I need to speak to Allison…"
"... thanks…"
"...thanks."
Drake tossed his cell phone onto his bed, went to a piece of paper tacked to his wall and crossed out a few more names.
He rubbed his forehead with exasperation and exhaustion. "Damn it." He paced his small room until he came to his desk. "DAMN IT!" Like it was nothing he threw the desk against the wall with a smash. He ran his hands through his hair, trying to control his mounting frustration, but looking at his desk in splinters only made him more agitated. "Great, Robin's gonna get on my ass for that."
Speaking of Robin, looking over to his wall of of papers and threads made him think back to a conversation he had with the boy wonder when it came to solving cases.
"It's like a puzzle. Each piece connects to the others to make a clear picture. If it doesn't fit, it's the wrong piece. If it doesn't make sense, you don't have all the pieces."
"This doesn't make sense. So what piece am I missing?"
He sauntered to the desk and began picking up the shards when something caught his attention. A small orb the size of a softball glowing a soft magenta.
His eyes grew wide. He grabbed it in his hand, inspecting the orb on all sides. It was the stone, the stone Malchior used to find other Dragon Knights.
"Holy crap." Another of his Dragon Knight brothers or sisters had awoken.
yes this is kind of a douche cliffhanger, but this is a muder mystery so it needs cliffys, missing time, and who done its. sorry if it pisses you off.
its to soon, but do you have any theories for what happened? love to hear them.
until next time.
